Asked on GMTV about suggestions that he planned to move or sack Mr Brown after the election, Blair said: ‘His record speaks for itself, so you would want that record to continue, really.

‘Whatever speculation there is in the papers, we work pretty closely together,’ he added. ‘He has done a fantastic job managing the economy. He has probably been our best chancellor for several decades.’

It has been suggested that Blair could move the chancellor to the foreign office after the election.